Journal of Materials Science, Vol.37, No.20, 4419-4424, 2002
Effect of atmosphere on superplastic deformation behavior in nanocrystalline liquid-phase-sintered silicon carbide with Al2O3-Y2O3 additions
Nanocrystalline-SiC with additions of 5.135 wt% Al2O3 and 3.867 wt% Y2O3 was subjected to tensile deformation in order to study its microstructural behavior under the dynamic process. The liquid-phase-sintered body had a relative density of >95% and an average grain size of 190 nm. Tension tests were conducted at initial strain rates range from 3 x 10(-4) to 2 x 10(-5) s(-1), in the temperature range 1873-2048 K, in both argon and N-2 atmospheres. Although grain-boundary liquids formed by the additions vaporized concurrently with the decomposition of SiC and grain growth, the maximum tensile elongation of 60% was achieved in argon. The grain-boundary amorphous phase formed a crystalline phase during testing in an N-2 atmosphere and fracture occurred at <8% elongation. Grain-boundary sliding was still the dominant mechanism for deformation.